ConclusionIn patients characterized by hypercholesterolemia and sub-youthful serum steroidal hormones, broadband steroid hormone restoration was typically associated with a substantial drop in serum total cholesterol. HT is an effective intervention for hypercholesterolemia and could be a physiologic and inexpensive resource for the healthcare system.

Elevation of cholesterol is an excellent aging marker, which can be used to define the time when patients need to begin HT.

Our body is a very smart self-regulated system. These reasons are always for the elevation of cholesterol. It can be that the age-related decline in production of steroid hormones, pregnancy, or some problems with enzymes. But hypercholesterolemia is in most cases a consequence of some reason, not a reason in itself. That’s why it is not very important what method you are using for suppressing the production of cholesterol—drugs, diet or supplements. You can always correct a consequence (hypercholesteromia)! On the contrary, we attempt to eliminate the reason for total cholesterol elevation by restoring a youthful hormonal profile. The main difference between traditional medicine and our treatment policy is that traditional methods direct against normal physiology. During our therapy we try to model a normal, healthy physiology.

More research will be needed to determine the full clinical potential of such an approach to the management of hypercholesterolemia.

Some additional comments by Life Extension The purpose of this six-year study was to ascertain the effects of steroidal hormone restoration (HT) on cholesterol blood levels and to assess the effects of this therapy on the overall health of patients. This study showed that total and LDL cholesterol levels declined and all patients described a significant improvement in quality of life (even though they were aging during this period).

A “non-steroidal” hormone that also causes elevated cholesterol when deficient is thyroid. The authors of the study commented to Life Extension that some patients were already taking thyroid hormones before their program, but the level of total cholesterol and LDL remained high. They also mentioned that symptoms of hypofunction of thyroid hormones were improved after the start of their HT treatment. This can be explained by the restoration of sensitivity of cell membranes to the impulses of thyroid hormones.

This study showed that serum LDL decreased on average from 158.2 mg/dL before to 120.4 mg/dL after treatment. Optimal LDL levels, however, may be below 100 mg/dL. For those with chronically high LDL, the addition of thyroid restoration therapy (if tests reveal thyroid deficiency) could reduce LDL to optimal levels. The authors noted that complete HT was required to obtain these results. A deficiency in even one steroidal hormone could cause the liver to synthesize more cholesterol in a sometimes-futile attempt to naturally replenish the missing hormone in the body. The authors mentioned that pregnenolone was a hormone often found deficient. When pregnenolone was restored to normal levels, cholesterol reduction was observed. The significance of this is that pregnenolone is the natural precursor (mother hormone) of DHEA, testosterone, progesterone, the estrogens and other steroidal hormones. If one has healthy hormone transformation enzyme systems in place, it is theoretically possible that supplementation with pregnenolone by itself would maintain healthy levels of steroidal hormones (DHEA, progesterone, testosterone, estrogen, etc.) Unfortunately, aging people often suffer from defective hormone enzymatic transformation systems, meaning that pregnenolone does not cascade down into other critical steroidal hormones. This is why aging humans can derive so much benefit from natural DHEA, testosterone, progesterone and estrogen supplements and drugs.

The only downside to utilizing HT (hormonorestoration) in all aging people is that some have hormone sensitive cancers. Those with prostate, breast and certain reproductive cancers may not be able to enjoy the whole body benefits of HT and instead have to rely on drug therapy if their cholesterol levels are too high.About the authors

R. Arnold Smith, M.D. is a radiation oncologist who operates an integrative cancer practice in North Central Mississippi Regional Cancer Center in Greenwood, Mississippi. In addition to radiotherapy, Dr. Smith treats his cancer patients with multiple biological response modifiers that increase the percentage of cancer patients who experience long-term survival or complete response. Despite being located away from any convenient airport and doing no advertising, cancer victims who learn of Dr. Smith’s aggressive approaches to treating cancer travel from far distances to become patients. Dr. Smith has been a Life Extension advisor since 1983, and has provided enormous amounts of clinical data that The Life Extension Foundation has incorporated into its cancer treatment protocols. You may wonder how a busy radiation oncologist could find the time to do a study on the cholesterol-lowering effects of multi-hormone restorative therapy. One reason is that he has the assistance of a brilliant researcher named Sergey A. Dzugan, Ph.D. Dr. Smith has become so well known for his superior methods of treating cancer, that patients (and their families) insist that he treat other age-related diseases. As a result, Dr. Smith may be the only conventional oncologist to also practice anti-aging medicine.

Sergey A. Dzugan, M.D., Ph.D., joined Dr. Smith’s practice in July 1, 1996. One of Dr. Dzugan’s jobs is to search the peer-reviewed published literature in order to identify better methods for treating cancer and slowing aging. Dr. Dzugan participates in conducting studies and writing articles that are later published in scientific journals. Sergey A. Dzugan was formerly a heart surgeon and Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Donetsk Regional Medical Center in Donetsk, Ukraine. His Ph.D. in cardiovascular surgery was received in 1990 and pertained to heart rhythm disorder. He was the Associate Professor of Medical University in Donetsk, Ukraine. Dr. Dzugan’s current primary interest is in anti-aging and biological therapy of cancer and he participates in patient care research in Greenwood, Mississippi. Dr. Dzugan has worked with the Cancer Center for more than six years and is the author of 113 publications in medical journals and these publications include surgical, oncological, academic and anti-aging topics. While Sergey Dzugan is an accredited medical doctor, he is not currently licensed to practice in the United States.

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